The present invention relates generally to an aerosol delivery system, and in particular to a modular aerosol delivery system configured to adapt and support medicament container assemblies having different configurations.
Pressurized Metered Dose Inhalers (PMDI's) are an important delivery mechanism for various medicaments. For example, patients have certain conditions that can be treated with medicaments dispersed in an aerosol and administered to the patient by inhalation. In one format, the aerosol with medicaments is maintained under pressure in a container, and is dispensed in metered, or measured, dosages with an inhalation device, such as an actuator boot. In other arrangements and configurations, the aerosol with medicaments is administered by way of a holding chamber, which can be further incorporated into a ventilator system.
In some circumstances, it can be important for the patient or caregiver to be able to ascertain the number of metered doses remaining in the container, either by an indication of the number remaining therein or by knowledge of the number already dispensed therefrom, such that the patient or caregiver is not caught unaware with an empty container when in need of the medicament. As a result, it is known to secure various indicating devices to the container and/or to the dispenser housing interfacing with the canister. The indicating devices are configured to count and display indicia informing the patient or caregiver about the number of doses used or remaining in the container.
In one example of such a device, as shown for example and without limitation in U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,168, the dose indicator is secured to the container. As such, the corresponding dispenser housing must be shaped to receive a container assembly, which includes the container and dose counter secured thereto. One problem with such a configuration, however, is that the dispenser housing may not be suitably shaped and/or configured to receive and properly actuate a different container assembly, for example a container having a different medication, and which may or may not be equipped with a dose counter or a differently shaped dose counter. This can be particularly troublesome, for example, where the dispenser housing is incorporated into a ventilator circuit and cannot be easily removed therefrom. As such, it may be difficult to administer different types of medication through the same dispenser housing, but instead requires the caregiver to disassemble and reconfigure the ventilator circuit for each type of medication.
For at least these reasons, an improved medication delivery assembly, which can accommodate and actuate different medicament container assemblies, is desirable.